A former Mercer County teacher who had pleaded guilty to numerous sex charges involving students will spend at least 30 years behind bars.

Local
-
8/25/2014 5:56 AM
by Adam Mayer

PRINCETON -- Judge William Sadler sentenced 36-year-old Jonathan Kirk to 30 to 40 years in prison. The maximum sentence for kirk's charges would have been 80 years. Once he's out of prison, Kirk must also spend 15 years of probation with supervised release by the sexual offender intensive supervision program.

Back in July, Kirk had admitted to committing the crimes while teaching physical education at Pikeview high school. His charges include distribution of obscene material to a minor, first-degree sexual abuse and sexual abuse by a parent or custodian.

One mother of one of the children who were abused said to Kirk “you are a disgrace to teachers you are a disgrace to fathers, you're a disgrace to the public that's what you are i feel that you should be especially disgraced to be the father of the son.”

Judge William Sadler says “part of the reason is this is deserved in this case is the cause of death and the shame and disgrace you placed upon your family as a part of your own narcissistic behavior.”

Family members from one of the children abused told news watch that this is a good sentence and it sets an example for teachers.